Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “living loved”
Sometimes it comes out as a whine. “But God, I’ve been waiting for so long.” On my worst days, I hear it coming out of me like a toddler-style tantrum, “But God, I just can’t do it!” In these “but God” prayers, my emphasis is in the wrong place. Instead of “but God,” I need to pivot to “but God.” From “but …
“In Africa, we use names that have meaning,” she explained in a smooth voice that exuded warmth and hospitality. We were sitting under the shade of her friend’s carport, next to one of the nicest houses in Soweto. “I must get to know you so that I can give you a name that means something in my language,” she continued. …
Psalm 23 is well-known and beloved by many people. This beautiful Old Testament poem is meaningful to people of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith. It’s a poem that helps preserve language from a bygone era. Its six verses are often memorized and recited from the King James Version of the Bible: 1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh …
A few years ago, a church in my town built a huge new building. HUGE. I scoffed at their extravagance and complained about the expense. To make matters worse, I only agreed with 95% of this church’s theology. Until we were seeing eye-to-eye on all things theological, I felt free to judge how they spent their money. In hindsight, I …
I have been giddy about God since the first moment I really understood God’s unconditional love. Not that I understand it completely, but once I got a glimpse of it, I was forever changed. I also found it easier to talk honestly about God from that moment on; I felt like I actually had something to say. It’s tempting to …
Jesus preaches release to the captives and this is good news because I’m a captive. I don’t like to think of myself that way. I much prefer thinking of myself as an independent person. I value my freedom. I’m proud that freedom and liberty are core values in my country’s founding documents. And yet, I have to admit, there are …
When my daughter was a toddler, one of my her favorite refrains was “I do it my big-self, Mommy.” It was a phrase that simultaneously made me happy (so proud!) and terrified (she’s not ready!). If you’ve spent any time around the preschool scene, you know toddlers can go from clingy to independent in an instant. It’s fun to watch …
I think there are times when I don’t give God enough credit. In fact, I’m sure of it. I forget there’s no such thing as a “self-made” Christian. I forget that God always makes the first move. God goes first, I go second. God reaches out, I respond. I rarely describe anything in the Bible as clear or plain, but …
One of the wonderful, but sometimes frustrating, things about the New Testament is how little biographical information it gives us about Jesus. The Gospel of Luke spans 18 years of Jesus’ life (from age 12 to age 30) by telling us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor” (Luke 2:52). This is reminiscent of …
Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and it has been since I was a child. Many of my most magical childhood memories are basted in the scent of Christmas pine. I remember going to the candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve. I remember tip-toeing out of my room on Christmas morning, well before sunrise, to check the …